


You've Got the Power and Control (Don't Pin it All on Me)

by JackEPeace



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: AU, Buffy the Vampire Slayer AU, F/F, Skimmons Secret Santa 2016, high school AU kinda!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-24
Updated: 2016-12-24
Packaged: 2018-09-11 19:05:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9003700
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JackEPeace/pseuds/JackEPeace
Summary: The ancient prophecy is pretty clear: One girl in the world destined to deal with the vampires, demons and the forces of darkness. So Jemma can't figure out why this girl is calling herself the Slayer when Jemma's got that job pretty well handled. (A Buffy the Vampire Slayer AU)





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Shewhogeeks](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shewhogeeks/gifts).



> Merry Skimmons Christmas everyone! I love Skimmons Secret Santa and I love Buffy and AUs and any excuse to write high school AUs and stories that are way, way too long. I hope you all enjoy! This story is for SheWhoGeeks and I hope you like it! Thanks to thesillybus (check her out on tumblr!) for help with some of the ideas and working through typical stress and self-doubt. The title comes from the song "Blame" by Bastille.

Jemma has had several years to come to terms with her role as the Chosen One. The Slayer. She's made it longer than most before her, which is equal parts sad and terrifying all things considered; two years hardly seems like a lifetime when you think about it. At the same time, it feels like several lifetimes, like each night is longer than the last. But still, she's had plenty of time to think about it, to resign herself to the idea that she'll likely die before she graduates high school, which is really terrible considering all she wants to do is graduate and head off to college…which is probably out of the question considering the whole Slayer thing.

There are a few positives Jemma can list about being given the 'privilege' of being the Chosen One. The increased stamina, strength and physical prowess has never been a bad thing, even if she has to use it to fight off vampires and demons and other terrible things. Lately, she hasn't minded the fact that she needs less sleep than the average person; it's always been a thing, the disruption of her sleep habits. Most things that go bump in the night come out during the, well, night and Jemma can't exactly sleep her way through her classes. But recently, Jemma has found herself spending longer and longer hours out patrolling, motivated more by insomnia than duty.

She spends a lot of her time now pondering mortality and the fate of the Slayer and blah blah blah. Jemma can't decide if already dying and coming back to life should make her more and less melancholic about death.

Either way, the citizens of Sunnydale are certainly benefiting from her late night rambles because the streets are safer, the vampires are vanquished and all is well. For now, anyway.

Jemma stuffs her hands into her pockets as she walks, her fingers brushing against the stake hidden there. The night has been relatively mundane as far as nights in Sunnydale go and she's itching for a little bit of action. It's cliché but true; she needs the distraction, especially since she has a Spanish test in the morning and she's so tired of running verb conjugations through her mind that she might scream.

Luckily there's been a vampire tailing her for the past three blocks. Jemma can practically smell the excitement radiating off him; he thinks he's the cat in this scenario and she the mouse that he's been stalking. Which is totally fine; Jemma doesn't want to demoralize him or anything before she kills him for the second time.

His footsteps are getting closer and louder and Jemma can feel a surge of adrenaline start spreading through her body as her Slayer instincts start to kick in. He's a new vampire, which explains his boldness, and he'll be easy to take out. Hardly the thrill she's been hoping for tonight but it will take her mind off her Spanish exam.

The vampire snarls as he suddenly lunges for her and Jemma whirls around, ready to face him. She doesn't get the chance because before she's even pulled the stake out of her pocket, the vampire is exploding into a cloud of dust, his surprised expression surely mirroring her own.

Jemma blinks in surprise as the dust settles around her. Sure she's taught her friends the fine, if crude, art of hunting vampires but they know that she'd tear them a new one if they were out hunting vampires without her. Besides, the face smiling back at her on the other side of the vampire particles isn't one that Jemma has ever seen before.

"No need to worry," the girl assures her brashly, twirling a stake in her hands before sticking it into the waistband of her jeans. "Though you probably shouldn't be out so late at night."

Jemma only stares, her surprise making her momentarily mute.

The other girl seems to mistake her confusion for shock and offers her a reassuring smile. "Hey, it's okay. You're safe now," she assures her. "Why are you out so late anyway?"

Rather than answer, Jemma only pulls out her own stake, holding it up. The other girl's eyes grow wide. "Oh, no way." Though far from surprised, she just seems excited. "Coulson is going to flip when he hears about this. The Council said there were some humans in Sunnydale who were trying to hunt vampires but-"

"Okay, wait just a second," Jemma interrupts, holding up a hand in hopes of bringing this conversation to a swift end. "I think you've got some explaining to do. Who are you?"

"Oh, sorry, I'm an idiot." The girl holds out her hand. "My name is Daisy. I'm the Slayer. You know, the Chosen One."

Daisy seems a little disappointed by how unimpressed Jemma seems.

"Interesting," Jemma mumbles, holding out her hand to shake Daisy's. "Well, nice to meet you Daisy. I'm Jemma. The Slayer."

Now Daisy looks a little ruffled, confusion peeking through her careful demeanor. "Huh," she says finally. "So much for being the Chosen _One_."

* * *

 

If anyone seems to think it strange that the school library is already occupied by five teenagers before homeroom has even started, no one is saying anything. Jemma is pretty sure that everyone has gotten used to the group of losers who make a habit of hanging out in the library with the librarian; they don't even waste time trying to make fun of them, seeing as the scenario pretty much makes fun of itself. Jemma figures they would all thank her if they knew how often Jemma and her friends had saved their asses from hungry vampires but no one ever said being a Slayer was a job that got a lot of gratitude.

There are books piled up on the table but for once they don't seem to be of any help. May has been ignoring them for the past several minutes, asking Jemma to repeat key pieces of the story she relayed to them all only minutes before. "And she said that she was the Slayer?"

Jemma nods. "She thought I was a human." She glances over at Bobbi and Fitz and Hunter and Elena. "Apparently stories of your exploits are spreading through the Watchers Council."

Hunter gives a little fist pump. "Excellent. I've always wanted to be famous among a bunch of boring old British dudes."

May glares at him but doesn't waste the energy to correct him. Mostly because his statement is pretty indicative of the members on the Watchers Council. And no one other bothers to point out that Hunter's statement is a little bit like the pot calling the kettle black. Instead May just asks, "And you said she mentioned a Watcher?"

"Someone named Coulson," Jemma says. "I assumed he was her Watcher. I told her to meet us here." She glances at the time on her phone. "But she's late…"

The bell rings but none of them make a move to leave the library. Jemma figures that she's finally gotten her wish; she's completely distracted from thoughts of her impending Spanish exam now.

"Maybe it's a trap of some kind," Elena says, absently flipping open one of the covers of the dusty old tomes. "Someone trying to catch you off guard. They probably won't show up."

Bobbi nods her agreement, scowling at nothing in particular. "Right. The prophecy is pretty clear, right?" She glances over at May. " _One_ girl in all the world…until she dies and the next Slayer is called."

Jemma sits up straighter, looking at May pointedly. "Well, maybe the prophecy isn't wrong…I did die technically."

May lifts her eyebrows, surprised. "I suppose that could have caused an imbalance…I'm sure something like this has never happened before."

At that moment, the library doors swing open and the girl from the night before comes sauntering in. She's dressed pretty much how she was only hours ago when their paths crossed for the first time: leather jacket, knitted cap, flannel and impressive boots, one of which is untied. Everything about her appearance seems to ruffle Jemma's feathers, not to mention the cavalier attitude that seems to be radiating off her. She didn't seem at all concerned about hiding her identity when they'd first met the night before, breaking one of the main Slayer rules about keeping humans in the dark about what truly goes on after dark. Jemma tries to ignore the flash of annoyance that spreads through her. The appearance of another Slayer is a good thing, right? Well…the jury is still out on that one.

With Daisy is a middle-aged man who seems to be the opposite of May, if his friendly smile and equally relaxed attitude are any indication. He seems to be a good match for his Slayer in the same way Jemma has always connected with May and been grateful that the Council appointed May to find her instead of someone else.

"Okay, this is pretty cool," Daisy announces as she takes in her surroundings. "I had no idea there was a Slayer HQ." She doesn't seem bothered by the six pairs of eyes fixed on her. Instead, she gives a little wave. "I'm Daisy."

The man Jemma assumes is Coulson comes to stand behind her, putting a hand on her shoulder. He opens his mouth to speak and then his eyes settle on May, an expression of surprise crossing his face. "Melinda?"

May frowns slightly. "Phil. Congratulations on finally getting selected as Watcher." Her tone is oddly expressionless and Jemma glances back and forth between the two of them, trying to figure out exactly what May is thinking. As always, that particular task proves to be impossible.

"Well, we aren't here to step on your toes," Coulson assures her. "When Daisy told me about what happened I was totally surprised. I've tried to reach out to the Council but I haven't heard back yet. You'd think two Slayers would take top priority."

May gives Daisy the once over and Daisy shifts a little under her gaze when her hopeful smile isn't returned. "We think we've figured out what happened," she explains. "A few weeks ago Jemma was killed fighting a vampire, though we managed to revive her before too much time could pass. That might explain why another Slayer was Called."

Jemma tries to hide a shudder at May's words, swallowing and glancing down at her feet. She's tried to come to terms with this idea, the fact that, for several minutes at least, she was dead. Even hearing May mention it so off-handedly doesn't help lessen the cold hard facts. When she looks up again, she's surprised to find Daisy watching her, a look of curiosity mixing with her expression of sympathy. Jemma pretends not to notice.

"So what do we do now?" Fitz questions, looking back and forth between the Slayers and their Watchers.

May and Coulson exchange a look that Jemma can't quite decipher and then May looks over at Fitz. "You aren't going to do anything." Even though she seems to be talking to all of them, Jemma feels like her words are mostly for her benefit. "You all have classes and tests to focus on."

Jemma frowns. "But-"

"There's nothing more you can do right now anyway," May points out. "Coulson and I will talk. You concentrate on school."

It's the first time May has given Jemma those particular instructions. Most of the time, being a Slayer takes priority over everything else, even her education. Jemma definitely knows a brush off when she hears one.

The worst part is having to leave the library knowing that Daisy is still hanging around. She tries to tell herself that it's curiosity bothering her, not jealousy but that doesn't make it easier to let the library doors swing shut behind her.

* * *

 

What's decided in Jemma's absence is that they'll still wait to hear from the Council but in the meantime, Jemma and Daisy will patrol Sunnydale every night like a good Slayer should. Jemma accepts May's words without comment because she trusts her Watcher implicitly and because she's determined to see the positive side to all of this. Sure she loves patrolling with her friends but every second they spend out on the streets, hunting vampires and trying to thwart demons' evil plans is a second that Jemma has to spend worrying about the safety of her very fragile human friends. At least with Daisy she won't have to worry so much -assuming the new Slayer has a little bit of training under her belt.

"How crazy is this?" Daisy questions as they move through a graveyard lit only by moonlight. "Two weeks ago I had no idea what a Slayer even was and then Coulson found me and kept talking about how I was the Chosen One and I was going to be alone in trying to save the world but then bam here you are." She grins at Jemma, who can barely muster a smile in return. "Guess we don't have to be alone after all."

Jemma already feels weary of the whole thing. "You seem awfully excited to be a Slayer."

Daisy lifts an eyebrow. "Shouldn't I be? I mean it's kind of exciting."

"I guess we'll have to agree to disagree," Jemma mutters to herself, nudging some freshly tilled dirt with the toe of her shoe. As far as she can tell, whoever was just buried is still there below the surface.

Daisy doesn't seem to hear her comment. "It's kinda cool being chosen for something, don't you think? Finding out you're special after being told your whole life that you aren't."

Jemma watches Daisy out of the corner of her eye. "Where were you from before this?"

"LA," Daisy replies. "I was staying in this shitty group home and he showed up one day and told me about all this Slayer stuff and now here we are."

"Oh…what about your parents?" Jemma questions tentatively before she can try to shake off her curiosity. She's never been particularly good at ignoring questions once they worm their way into her mind.

Daisy frowns and for the first time some of her bravado seems to disappear. "They disappeared when I was two." Jemma opens her mouth but Daisy beats her to the chase. "It doesn't matter. I stopped looking for them a long time ago."

Jemma wonders if the Council or the Powers-That-Be or whatever it is that selects the Slayers knew what they were doing when they Called Daisy or if it was pure chance. It seems like a pretty cheap trick, picking someone without a family or anything to lose and making the prospect of fighting vampires and demons for the rest of her short life seem appealing.

With a sigh, Jemma musters up a genuine smile. "Well, since you're here, we might as well make the best of it," she declares. "Those vampires won't know what hit them."

Daisy grins. "Exactly."

* * *

 

After Bobbi and the others learned the truth about vampires and Slayers and the fact that the town they called home was built on something called a Hellmouth, they made a habit of joining Jemma out on late-night patrols. It was nice having them along because walking through a graveyard in the middle of the night is still creepy even for the Chosen One and who doesn't like having a little bit of backup? Not that Jemma actively encouraged their participation or involvement in anything outside of research; teenagers aren't exactly suited for fighting off vampires, demons and other forces of darkness. As much as she loves her friends and enjoys spending time with them, Jemma usually finds their presence more distracting than helpful.

But with Daisy, things are different. Daisy is a Slayer, which means she can keep up with Jemma and go toe-to-toe with vampires without Jemma having to worry about her. While her enthusiasm isn't exactly catching, Jemma can't help but look forward to the evenings when they meet up and start the never-ending task of keeping Sunnydale safe. Jemma can't remember the last time she actually felt excited to go out patrolling, though she figures it was probably some time before that whole, annoying untimely death thing really put a damper on the fun of being the Slayer. But with Daisy beside her, it doesn't seem quite as lonely and depressing.

The number of people who know the truth about who she is and what she does when the sun goes down is relatively small. Fitz found out purely by accident and then came Hunter, her new stepbrother who was a little more observant than Jemma wanted to give him credit for. Not that Hunter was good at keeping secrets, because it wasn't too long before he told Bobbi and Elena just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time and voilà: her own little monster hunting squad. Jemma's father and stepmother are still in the dark and Jemma intends to keep it that way, which means keeping up appearances like continuing to be an exceptional student and sitting down to family dinners each night.

Jemma is helping herself to a second helping of everything when her stepmother remarks, "Jemma, your father and I have noticed that you've been disappearing a lot recently. Any place in particular you vanish off to?"

Jemma looks up from her plate, catching Hunter's eye. Maybe their parents aren't quite in the dark the way she liked to believe that they were. "Uh…no…" Jemma mutters with a shrug. "Just doing some thinking."

Her father nods, apparently satisfied with this answer and Jemma figures that she probably would have gotten away with having the subject successfully dropped if Hunter hadn't decided to add, "There's a girl."

In that moment, Jemma really wishes that one of her Slayer powers involved shooting lasers out of her eyes because she figures that she would like for nothing more than to vaporize Hunter then and there. Honestly, she probably would have preferred that he just tell their parents the truth about her being the Slayer.

"Oh! Really?" Her stepmother's face brightens with renewed interest and she nudges Jemma's father.

Jemma kicks Hunter under the table, forgetting to restrain her strength. It's totally worth the look on his face. "There's not a girl," she assures her parents quickly. "I mean…there is a girl. But it's not like that. We're just friends. _Lance_ ," she hisses under her breath, glaring at Hunter. Hunter holds up his hands in surrender, moving his chair out of reach.

Jemma's father only chuckles, shaking his head. "Okay, point taken." He gives her a patronizing smile that all parents seem to perfect so effortlessly. "We won't mention it again."

"But…if you ever wanted to invite her over for dinner…" Jemma's stepmother suggests quickly. "It would be nice to know who you're spending all your time with."

Jemma ducks her head, making an effort to pretend like the food on her plate is the most interesting thing she's ever seen. "Sure," she mutters in the hopes that it'll bring this conversation to an end. "I'll think about it."

Honestly, she's going to murder Hunter. She hopes that May will consider it a justifiable homicide so that she doesn't have to report it to the Watchers Council.

* * *

 

"At least I don't have to worry about you going easy on me," Daisy groans as soon as she gets breath back in her lungs. She winces as she rolls over, pushing herself into a sitting position but making no move to get to her feet. "Do you have some secret Slayer strength reserve that I haven't figured out about yet?"

Jemma grins, leaning back on the balls of her feet. "What are you whining about?" She teases. "At least you had the mats to break your fall."

Thankfully school has been over for almost three hours; Jemma isn't sure they could get away with explaining why they've pushed aside all the tables and study cubicles in the library and are currently using the space for sparring practice. It would definitely make it harder for school officials to ignore the weird popularity of the library with a handful of students.

"Hey, I'd be happy to trade places with you so that you can see how it feels," Daisy offers, holding her hand out so Jemma can help her to her feet. "But you'd probably have to tie one hand behind your back."

Jemma laughs as she pulls Daisy to her feet and Daisy grins at her. "You have a nice laugh," she says.

Jemma looks at her in surprise. She doesn't have time to really process Daisy's words because May's voice cracks through the library, "Again."

Daisy groans, stepping back and letting her hand slip out of Jemma's. "Again?" She whines, glancing over her shoulder at Coulson like a little kid trying to pit her parents against one another.

Coulson looks at May and starts to object but she silences him quickly with a look. Jemma and Daisy exchange a look of their own and Daisy clears her throat to attempt to hide her laugh.

"Yes, again," May says decisively. "If you can't last more than a few minutes with Jemma then how do you expect to go toe-to-toe with a vampire?"

Daisy shrugs. "I mean, I've done okay so far." She smiles hopefully at May like she's expecting to earn a pat on the head for her troubles.

May only blinks at her. "Okay is not good enough," she says flatly. "You need to be better than okay. You need to be-"

"Great?" Daisy supplies innocently and Jemma only rolls her eyes. She knows Daisy hasn't been a Slayer for very long but she would have thought some of those heightened instincts would have warned her not to try and ruffle May's feathers.

May looks over at Jemma. "Again."

Jemma lunges toward Daisy, catching her off guard and sweeping her legs out from under her. She's back on the mat before she knows what hit her. Daisy groans, closing her eyes. "Not fair," she whines. "I surrender."

Once again, Daisy holds up a hand and Jemma reaches forward to help pull her up to her feet. But Daisy just yanks her forward, using Jemma's own momentum to help flip her head over heels and onto the mat behind Daisy. Jemma can't help but think that Daisy has a pretty nice laugh too.

When Jemma opens her eyes, the first thing she sees is May staring down at her. May looks a little more impressed than she did a few seconds ago. She nods, looking over at Daisy. "Better."

* * *

 

"May thinks Coulson has been too easy on me," Daisy remarks as she and Jemma make the rounds through downtown Sunnydale. "That he hasn't been spending enough time on my training."

Jemma shrugs. "She's just looking out for you."

Daisy makes a face. "I think May's one of those tough love types. Literally." Jemma smiles but doesn't disagree. "I think she keeps forgetting that I haven't been a Slayer as long as you have."

"Well, don't take it personally. May doesn't know the meaning of going easy on someone," Jemma assures her. "And I think she feels guilty."

The words leave her mouth before Jemma can really think about them and she instantly regrets them. Mostly because she doesn't want to explain herself or expand on the subject.

But Daisy doesn't give her that luxury. "Guilty for what?"

The jovial mood Jemma has been in since their sparring session evaporates. "I…well a Watcher's job is to make sure that the Slayer is trained and strong enough to face whatever comes. A Watcher's job is to help their Slayer survive. And I…" She shakes her head. "If it hadn't been for Bobbi, I would have died. Permanently."

Daisy frowns and Jemma regrets saying anything at all. She should have played it off like she didn't know what she meant rather than bringing down the whole tone of their conversation.

Briefly, Daisy lets her hand rest on Jemma's shoulder. "If you ever want to talk about it…or whatever…I mean…"

"It's fine," Jemma assures her quickly. "I was lucky. I mean, I'm still here, right?" She smiles but her heart isn't in it. That heavy feeling is back, the one she'd thought had been chased away with Daisy's arrival. The one that reminds her that this job, this privilege, isn't destined to have a long shelf life and that, sooner rather than later, both she and Daisy will be killed.

Quickly, Jemma pushes that thought aside. It feels different to think about Daisy's death and she shakes the idea away before it can take root.

"Okay, you know what we need?" Daisy says suddenly and a bit too cheerfully. "Ice cream. I've noticed one of those twenty-four hour diner places on our patrols."

Jemma raises an eyebrow. "I'm not sure how May would feel about taking a snack break while we're supposed to be hunting vampires."

Daisy waves a dismissive hand. "What May doesn't know won't hurt her, right?"

"Well, May knows everything," Jemma teases. "That's her secret."

Daisy laughs but Jemma can tell that she's not entirely sure that Jemma is joking.

But they get the ice cream anyway and it works as the perfect distraction and it, however briefly, actually makes Jemma feel a little more like a normal girl.

The next day, Jemma is pretty sure that May knows something is amiss but she doesn't say anything about it.

* * *

 

"So your Watcher is the worst," Daisy announces early one morning as she walks into the Sunnydale High Library. "I think she wanted me here just so she had another Slayer to torture."

Of course, Daisy doesn't say any of these things until she's certain that May isn't around to hear her.

It's a pleasant surprise to see Daisy so early in the morning. She normally shows up after school lets out for training or meets up with Jemma later to patrol. "What are you doing here?" Jemma questions and hopes that her words don't come out as accusatory.

Daisy sits down in one of the chairs beside Elena. "May decided that my 'home-schooling' wasn't up to her standards so she convinced Coulson to enroll me here." She scowls. "I've already been to three schools this year, I guess one more won't hurt…" She gives Jemma a look. "I think they get together to brainstorm ways to make us miserable, not to help with our training."

Bobbi scoffs. "I think they get together to-"

"Enough." Jemma holds up a hand quickly before Bobbi can finish. "I thought I told you that I never wanted to have that conversation ever again."

Daisy leans forward with sudden interest. "Wait, you guys talk about May and Coulson's love life?"

"See what you miss when you're home schooled?" Jemma questions. "Or…maybe that's an argument _for_ home schooling…"

Fitz studies Daisy's schedule. "Oh, you have Ms. Calendar for computer science, you'll like her," he remarks. "You have a lot of classes with Jemma."

"Good," Daisy says as she takes her schedule back. "I need someone smart in my life. A smart, guardian angel."

The bell rings and everyone makes a move to grab their bags and get to their feet, except for Daisy. She just frowns, looking like she's about to face down a nest of vampires rather than calculus class. Jemma playfully tugs on the back of her jacket, trying to get Daisy to her feet. "My first act as your guardian angel is to tell you not to be late to Mr. Snyder's class."

Daisy grumbles the whole way but follows Jemma along dutifully and Jemma can't help but think that this day is looking up. She's often found herself thinking about Daisy during the daylight hours, looking forward to training and patrolling more than she should just because it provided the excuse to spend time with her. Now it seems like she's going to be seeing a lot more of Daisy.

* * *

 

The best thing about vampires is that they turn into dust when you kill them. Not that Jemma particularly likes constantly having to brush vampire dust off her clothes or wash it out of her hair but it's a lot easier than having to worry about Sunnydale residents wondering about the amount of corpses on the street each morning.

She and Daisy have just taken out of a pair of vampires and Jemma is pretty sure that she's got remnants of one of them in her shoes. Wonderful. "You know what we need?" Daisy questions as she blows vampire specks off her sleeves. "A good old fashioned demon. One that's easy to kill but doesn't get all over our clothes."

"Be careful what you wish for," Jemma warns, "I'm sure the Hellmouth will be happy to deliver."

Daisy makes a face. "The Hellmouth, really? They couldn't think of anything more subtle?"

"I'm sure they had more important things to worry about," Jemma points out as they start walking again. "Like all the demons crawling out of it."

"Speaking of things to worry about," Daisy says as she tosses her stake from hand to hand, "do you think you can still help me study for the physics exam? I know I'm a hopeless case but-"

"Sure," Jemma assures her quickly, wincing at her eagerness. Hopefully Daisy will just blame her excitement on the studying part. "My stepmom has been giving me a hard time about inviting you to dinner ever since Hunter made an ass out of himself. It might distract her for a while."

Daisy lifts an eyebrow. "Was that you asking me to come to dinner?"

Jemma feels her cheeks get hot. "Um, yes. If, I mean, you want to…no pressure of course and I know my parents can be a lot and Hunter is terrible as always but-"

"Sounds great," Daisy assures her before Jemma can even take a breath. "Coulson's cooking leaves a lot to be desired. Not that I really need an excuse to hang out with you."

If possible, Jemma's cheeks only get hotter and she looks away, pretending to study a cluster of shadows rather than let Daisy see her blush. "Okay, great." She forces herself to look back at Daisy. "It's a-" Thankfully she stops herself before she can say 'date' because she's not certain that she can take more embarrassment.

Honestly, Jemma has no idea when the idea of hanging around with Daisy was the type of thing that involved flushed cheeks and butterflies in her stomach.

She's going to have to ask May about this. Hopefully it's not some weird Slayer-illness that she's suddenly come down with.

* * *

 

After the first time Daisy comes over for dinner, it's like Jemma's parents just start expecting her to show up more often than not. Jemma isn't about to suggest a deviation in this plan. It's strange how easy it is to settle into this new routine. For the past two years, everything has been centered around being the Slayer and patrolling and keeping Sunnydale safe. It hadn't felt like there was room for anything else; even when it came to her friends, Jemma had felt like she'd had to stretch and bend just to make them fit. But with Daisy, it's like she fills a spot that she hadn't even known was empty.

After school there's training or studying and then dinner at Jemma's and then patrolling into the darkest hours of the night. Jemma's never felt much like laughing while hunting for vampires before she found herself in Daisy's company. Now she just wonders what the Council would think if they saw them together, treating patrolling like a game. And it's not, of course Jemma knows it's not. But maybe it doesn't have to be so serious either.

Jemma is supposed to be concentrating on the safest part of being the Slayer -looking through dusty old tomes for information gathered by the Watchers past- but it's hard to focus on the words on the paper when Daisy is training just to the edge of her peripheral vision. There's no denying the fact that Coulson is a good Watcher; he's dedicated to Daisy and makes her safety and training his top priority. But when it comes to the physical aspects and the techniques, May is an invaluable resource. Jemma remembers running through those same drills, pushing her body further and harder than it had ever been pushed before and realizing that she was maybe built for this after all. But that doesn't mean that she envies Daisy; Jemma's glad she's been stuck with research duty.

Not that she's doing much research.

Jemma nearly jumps out of her skin when one of the heavy books slams down onto the table. So much for Slayer reflexes. She turns her head, glaring at Bobbi. "What's wrong with you?"

Bobbi gives her a pointed look. "I could ask you the same question," she says. "I called your name twice."

"Oh…I…." Jemma points at the book. "I was just reading-"

"Liar," Bobbi interrupts. "No book is that interesting."

Jemma is about to protest but it's pretty clear that Bobbi already knows exactly what was so interesting. She glances back toward where Daisy is training and…yeah. Still more interesting than an old Watcher's journal about werewolves.

Clearing her throat, Jemma looks back at Bobbi. "I don't know what you're getting at."

It's obvious that Bobbi doesn't believe her for a second.

That's when Jemma starts to wonder if maybe she's in trouble. Because if someone else is noticing how her attention and thoughts always seem to be pulled toward Daisy…maybe she's in a little over her head.

* * *

 

The first time Jemma kisses Daisy it's completely by accident.

Even before she became a Slayer, Jemma always made sure to plan everything out carefully, to study potential outcomes and resolutions to ensure that the end result was exactly what she wanted it to be. After learning that she was the Chosen One, it only became more important to consider things from all angles, to ensure that when she went into a situation or went toe-to-toe with a vampire or two that she would come out the winner.

But with Daisy…it just happens.

Jemma leans in to point out a correction Daisy needs to make in one of her equations and it suddenly seems like a way better idea to lift her head and press their lips together. And Daisy kisses her back like she's been waiting for this very moment for an impossibly long time.

After that, there are no more accidental kisses.

* * *

 

The library doors swing shut behind Daisy as she waltzes in. "So, I think Ms. Calendar is a witch-" She pauses when she sees the serious, solemn faces of two Watchers and Slayer. "What's going on?"

Jemma hands over a copy of the day's _Sunnydale Times_ and Daisy's brow furrows as she reads the headline. Jemma doesn't have to see the words to know exactly what they say; she's read them over enough times to have them imprinted in her memory. _Family of four found dead in their home -third child still missing_. Beside a picture of Sunnydale PD rolling out a covered body on a stretcher is a picture of the smiling family: a mother and father and their three happy, young children.

Daisy's eyes quickly travel across the page, taking in the story. Jemma knows all those relevant details too: no sign of forced entry, suspicious lack of blood, marks on the neck. When she was first Called as the Slayer, May had told her that these types of stories were unfortunately common in Sunnydale, that people had learned to tune them out and not ask questions even if they hadn't learned not to invite strangers into their homes. She'd hoped that having a Slayer around would reduce the amount of families slaughtered in their homes; having _two_ Slayers should have been even better.

Clearly they've still got plenty of work to do.

Daisy finally looks up, her brow still furrowed. "This is awful," she says softly, tossing the paper back onto the table facedown. "But it's a vampire, right? I mean obviously. Not to try and belittle this but…"

"Not just a vampire," Jemma supplies before Daisy can finish her question. Everyone knows her point anyway: they are in Sunnydale, after all. Dead families aren't exactly out of the ordinary. "A single vampire wouldn't have needed to feed on an entire family and these bodies were all drained of blood."

Daisy glances between the three of them. "So…more than one vampire?" She looks at Jemma uncertainly. "I still feel like I'm missing something."

"Vampires don't usually hunt or travel together," Coulson supplies. "So whenever we see activity like this it means we've got a nest situation at best. Or, at worst, a more coordinated attack."

"The missing child suggests the latter," May adds. "No reason to take one of out of the house unless they were," she pauses, clearly considering her next words. Jemma swallows, already knowing where May is headed. "Unless they needed to bring back food for someone else. Likely the someone pulling the strings."

The color drains from Daisy's face. "Okay, this sucks. This is why no one signs up for this job, right?"

Jemma couldn't have said it better herself, though she doesn't bother to say anything. Daisy looks at her and their eyes meet. Just before the last class of the day, Daisy had pulled Jemma into a secluded corner of the hallway and kissed her until she'd forgotten all about English class and the tardy bell. Suddenly that feels ages away, or, at the very least, far enough away to make Jemma wonder why she ever thought they could just be normal, happy-go-lucky teenagers kissing in the hallway.

"We know what we have to focus on tonight," Jemma says, looking away from Daisy and turning her attention toward May and Coulson. "We'll give the graveyards and bus depots a rest tonight, focus on abandoned warehouses and other empty properties."

May studies her for a moment and, once again, Jemma just feels like May knows everything. "Maybe you two should split up tonight," she suggests. "Cover more ground."

"I don't think that's a good idea," Coulson protests before Jemma or Daisy can do the same. "With this new threat…I'm not sure a vampire nest is a job for just one of them."

May frowns. "It has been in the past, when there was only one Slayer," she points out. "They can't get complacent…or distracted."

Jemma ignores the feeling that this statement is primarily for her benefit.

"Two pairs of eyes are better than one," Coulson says again with a shrug. "If this plan doesn't work tonight, they can always split up tomorrow."

May doesn't look pleased but she doesn't offer another objection. Jemma is grateful. There's nothing like dead children to put a chill in the air and she's not sure that she wants to be alone tonight.

Maybe May is right, maybe she's getting complacent and too dependent on having Daisy around. But that doesn't mean that she can't be grateful for her company.

* * *

 

There are, unfortunately, a lot of empty warehouses in Sunnydale. Even though Sunnydale is by no means a bustling town or an epicenter for travel and commerce, it's big enough that the vampires never go hungry and the houses are always occupied. The same can't be said for the abandoned businesses and warehouses toward the outskirts of town, which have unfortunately became popular among two different groups: teenagers looking for a place to drink and fool around and vampires looking for teenagers.

There's a lot of ground to cover -blocks and blocks of hopefully empty buildings- and even though everything is eerily still and silent, Jemma knows that looks can be deceiving. The only sound is Daisy's footsteps falling in tandem with her own and Jemma isn't sure if her Slayer-senses are tingling or just her good, old-fashioned normal human ones.

Rather than go from building to building and potentially walking into a precarious situation, Daisy and Jemma decide to set up camp on the top of an old bus stop enclosure, the top of which is high enough to give them a decent view of the block around them. There's no moon tonight thanks to the thick massing of clouds and it just feels like the type of scene set up in horror movies to make the audience wonder how stupid teenagers really are.

Jemma is grateful for Daisy's weight against her side, even though she's pretty sure May would be less than pleased with their relaxed posture. She'd probably prefer that they were down there, kicking the doors open and dusting any vampires that got in their way. Jemma is totally fine with taking the more cautious approach, at least for now.

"So, a vampire nest, huh?" Daisy questions after several minutes have gone by in silence. Eerie, horror movie silence. Jemma is grateful to hear the sound of her voice. "Have you ever run into one of those before?"

"Once," Jemma replies. "Right after I came to Sunnydale. But it was really just one vampire who was trying to start his own…harem I think. So all the vampires were young and easy to deal with."

Daisy crinkles her nose at the story. "But you don't think that's what's going on here?"

Jemma can only shrug. "Those vampires didn't kidnap children."

Unfortunately, that particular topic of conversation just brings back the heavy silence.

* * *

 

Stake-outs have never been a staple of Slayer activity -no pun intended, of course- and it doesn't take long before Jemma really finds herself longing for something she can hit and drive a stake through. The night is getting chillier and no less creepy and the only saving grace is Daisy's presence.

Not that she's been great company recently. Jemma has no idea how she's managed to fall asleep but there you have it. She supposes every Slayer reaches that moment when she just has to recharge her batteries and it's not like there's anything else to do. May would definitely have a field day with how un-battle-ready they both are at the moment: Daisy with her head in Jemma's lap and Jemma with her fingers gently carding through Daisy's hair, nails brushing against her scalp as she sleeps. At least they have the advantage of height; it's not a vampire could sneak up on them…if there was a vampire around.

Jemma's legs have gone numb but she doesn't want to shift her position and risk waking Daisy. Not that her motives are purely selfless; she'll use any excuse to be close to Daisy.

Down below, there's still nothing to see. None of the warehouses around where they're at seem to be occupied and she knows that they need to move, to explore another block or two, to find another vantage point. Jemma promises herself that in another five minutes she'll wake Daisy and then-

But Daisy startles awake suddenly, gasping as her eyes fly open and Jemma nearly pitches backward off the roof of the bus stop enclosure. So much for Slayer grace and agility. She barely manages to keep herself rooted in place, staring at Daisy with wide eyes. "Daisy? What's wrong?"

Daisy flinches at the sound of her voice when she looks at Jemma there's a skittishness in her gaze that slowly fades at the tension slips from her body. She exhales slowly, closing her eyes. "Shit. Sorry," she grumbles, pressing a hand to her face and shaking her head. "I was…dreaming."

Jemma's forehead creases and she rests a hand on Daisy's shoulder. "It seemed more like a nightmare," she says gently. "Do you-"

"It doesn't matter," Daisy says quickly, shaking off Jemma's touch. "We should keep patrolling." She slips off the edge of the enclosure, landing soundlessly on the pavement below.

Frowning, Jemma follows suit. She catches up with Daisy easily but neither of them say anything. Jemma doesn't want to push because she knows exactly how terrible it feels to wake up from a nightmare and how it feels like the last thing you want to do in the world is talk about it.

But the only thing worse is waking up from a nightmare and feeling alone. "May said that it's natural for Slayers to have awful dreams," she says. "She says it's a way that past Slayers pass on memories or messages to the current Slayer."

Daisy frowns but shakes her head. "This wasn't a Slayer thing," she mumbles. "It was a foster kid thing." She looks at Jemma. "You know, one of the things I really like about being a Slayer is the fact that I don't have to sleep as much. Really helped with the nightmare thing."

Jemma smiles faintly. "I know exactly how you feel." It's been a while since she woke up with the feeling of dying invading her senses but that doesn't make it any less easy to imagine that feeling now. "For a while I kept having dreams about the night I…the night that I…"

She can't quite make herself say the word, not only because it seems so bizarre to actually talk about her own death when she's still standing right here. But Daisy still seems to know exactly what she means.

They stop walking and Daisy faces her, her fingers lightly twisting through Jemma's. "Was it…" There are so many ways that she could finish that question and Jemma can practically see Daisy sorting through each one. "Terrible?"

Jemma hasn't talked about that night, not with Bobbi who was there or Fitz, whom she tells everything. She hasn't even brought it up to May, which seems to suit them both just fine. But Daisy is different; they're connected in so many different ways.

"It was awful," Jemma says softly. "It seemed to take forever and I couldn't do anything. I couldn't move…I couldn't…all I could do was think about everything that was going to keep happening without me and just wait for it to be over."

Daisy kisses her forehead, a fleeting touch that it somehow just enough in that moment. "Well maybe there was something good to come out of it? I mean, I am here."

Jemma is surprised when she actually smiles. "So modest."

"No, I mean, I just mean, you know, I'm Slayer. It's like a superhero, right? I've got you covered, so you don't have to worry anymore," Daisy assures her.

"Well, I happen to be a Slayer too, in case you forgot," Jemma points out. " _The_ Slayer."

Daisy smirks. "Oh, so you're _The_ Slayer, huh? Now who's the modest one?"

Jemma bumps her hip against Daisy's and they start walking again. "Still you, Miss Superhero."

"All I was trying to say was that I've got your back," Daisy retorts. "But since you've obviously got the vampire thing covered…"

She makes a move to turn around and head in the opposite direction but Jemma reaches for her, laughing softly and slipping an arm around her waist. They don't stay twined together for long because a group of old warehouses isn't exactly the safest place to let their guard down. And they've got a job to do, after all.

Even still, Jemma feels better, lighter and less weighed down by the heaviness that seems to have filled her body since the night she died. It's hardly perfect but it'll do for now.

* * *

 

"So you didn't find anything, huh?" Fitz questions as he keeps half his attention on the volleyball game going on around them. "Not a single vampire?"

Jemma shakes her head. "Not a single one. It was a little bit strange, seeing as this is Sunnydale."

It's a strange occurrence that Jemma has been rolling over in her mind all day; maybe she and Daisy were just looking in the wrong places last night. Maybe…maybe the vampires really are up to something specific…

A volleyball comes arcing over the net toward Fitz's face and Jemma leans over, closing the distance effortlessly and sending the ball sailing back over the net. Gym is her least favorite class because it's the hardest time of day for her to keep her Slayer abilities under wraps. She's always excelled at academics but to suddenly go from tripping her way down the court or field to dominating every game that the teacher can throw at her would definitely cause some suspicion. But still. Jemma feels like a little showing-off was worth it to keep the ball from smacking Fitz in the face.

But still, Fitz frowns at her. "I almost had that one," he lies, watching the other players on the team fight over the volleyball. "You could have at least let me try to show off in front of Mack."

Mack is currently on the other side of the net, getting ready to serve the ball. Jemma doesn't bother to point out that there wouldn't have been much showing off, just the possibility of a bloody nose. Though that probably would have gotten Mack's attention…maybe that was the plan all along…

"Speaking of showing off," Fitz says, pulling Jemma out of her rambling thoughts. "how're things going with Daisy?"

Jemma is pretty sure that her face instantly turns a vibrant red. "What do you mean?"

It's been a little over a week since she and Daisy first started…being she and Daisy. A unit, in more than just the Slayer sense. But she hasn't exactly gone around broadcasting that fact to her friends, though May doesn't seem to need a marquee or an official announcement to pick up on the change.

Maybe she's just really terrible at keeping a secret.

"Don't try that with me," Fitz informs her frankly. "It's pretty obvious. And a little disgusting, actually. I'm surprised you haven't gotten drool all over May's priceless Watcher's journals."

Jemma makes a face. "Ugh, May." She shakes her head. "I think she knows."

"Of course she does," Fitz says dismissively. "May knows everything."

* * *

 

They find the vampire nest completely by accident.

That's something Jemma never plans on telling May because she really doesn't want that to end up in any Watcher's journal for the Council to study in the years to come.

But that's the truth. Jemma and Daisy are following after a vampire, planning to rid Sunnydale of at least one bloodsucking pest even if they can't unearth the larger nefarious plot, when he leads them to a derelict building that used to be a Thai restaurant.

The building hadn't exactly been high on their list of places to investigate. It's not on the outskirts of Sunnydale and it's surrounded by a bunch of other empty, run-down buildings. The restaurant is tucked into the end of a block populated with coffee places and laundromats and a bar frequented by the local college students. It fits in with everything else, despite the chains on the door and the For Sale sign stuck across the front window.

Most importantly the old restaurant is close to an apartment complex, which happened to make the front page of the morning's newspaper. It's been only four days since the first story about a murdered family and a missing child was splashed across the _Sunnydale Times_ but it's already old news thanks to the murder of another family. A mother and her son were killed, though the younger son was not found inside the home when police arrived. Another missing child to make two Slayers feel like total failures. It's not a very nice feeling.

Yet here they are, standing outside the Thai restaurant, watching a vampire slip through the backdoor. There's a heavy sense of foreboding radiating off the place, the type of thing that would make even a regular person cross the street to avoid walking in front of the building. Jemma's Slayer senses are definitely tingling and the warrior part of her brain is demanding that she charge right in and kill a bunch of vampires. The decidedly more human part of her is urging that she step back and think this through or, better yet, just turn around and go home.

Not that that's really any option. Instead, Jemma and Daisy move toward the back of the building, peering in through the grimy windows. The kitchen is dark, making it difficult to make out more than just the vague shapes of the things like the cooking appliances that are starting to grow layers of dust and other things Jemma doesn't really want to think about.

But there's a child's shoe there among the rest of the benign artifacts and that's really the only assurance they need to know they've found the right place.

Daisy carefully pushes open the window, wincing at the scraping sound the pane makes as she forces it upward and it's probably blown any kind of cover they might have had but they're Slayers, after all. Going into these types of situations is pretty much their job description.

Jemma follows Daisy through the window, taking a stake out of her back pocket. She tries to steady her breathing, to turn the thoughts in her mind down and let her Slayer instincts take over. In these moments she feels like the Slayers of the past slip into her mind, trying to take over and keep her from making the same mistakes that got them killed. She wonders if Daisy feels them too, making Slaying feel like a bizarre out of body experience.

They can hear voices just on the other side of the swinging doors that lead into the restaurant itself. The rational, human part of her mind is still assuring Jemma that there's time to go home; the Slayer part is wondering what's taking so long.

Daisy takes a deep breath, looking over at Jemma. Jemma tries to give her a reassuring smile, grateful that she's not about to go charging into this situation all by herself. Maybe the Council needs to look into their Chosen 'One' policy because two Slayers are definitely better than just one.

Daisy leans in, kissing her quickly, taking Jemma by surprise. "You know," Daisy says softly with a nervous smile, "for luck."

And then Daisy pushes open the doors.

The vampires are already waiting for them. Everything seems to happen all at once so Jemma can't get her bearings. She can't stop to orient herself on the layout and size of the room; she can't stop to count the number of assailants and look for things in the room that might help her fight them off; she can't stop to plan her next move. She just has to react, letting her instincts take over and defend her against the swarm of vampires.

And that's exactly what it feels like: a swarm. Like that moment when you accidently kick an ant pile and what seems like thousands of ants suddenly come pouring out. While Jemma is pretty sure that there aren't thousands of vampires snarling and trying to win the glory that comes with killing a Slayer, it definitely feels that way. The air is heavy with the sounds of animalistic growls and snapping teeth and the scene of dirt and death and blood.

One of the vampires grabs Jemma from behind as another one lunges for her neck and she throws her head back, feeling the vampire's nose crunch beneath her head as she kicks her legs out, hitting the other vampire in the stomach and driving him backward. She manages to wrench herself free, twisting around to drive the stake into the chest of the first vampire. Of course, there are plenty more there to take his place.

The worst part about the onslaught is that Jemma doesn't have the chance to find Daisy among all the madness. There's too much to think about and focus on, she doesn't have the brainpower to spare thinking about Daisy and worrying about her. But Jemma can't help it. Daisy is still a relatively young Slayer; she's never encountered anything more than two vampires at a time and there's definitely no way to prepare for this through training exercises. The idea of something happening to Daisy, of being unable to do anything to help her…it only makes Jemma fight harder, her movements frenzied and reckless rather than smooth and calculated, the way May has always encouraged her to be.

Finally Jemma manages to spot her. They've thinned out the vampires enough -either by dusting them or because some of the vampires have decided to flee through a broken window- and Jemma can see Daisy standing there, breathing heavily, a trickle of blood mixed with the sweat on her forehead.

Jemma's relief is short-lived because she notices something else too. There's another vampire there, one that hasn't jumped in to join the fray. There's something different about this vampire; she's older than the others, decades older, and she exudes an air of control and confidence. Definitely the type of vampire that would inspire other vampires to break from their lone wolf ways and mass together for a common purpose. She's the queen of this particular swarm.

Their gazes meet and the vampire only smiles, a challenge if Jemma's ever seen one.

The sound of Daisy letting out a sharp cry of pain is enough to stop Jemma in her tracks. She turns back toward Daisy only to find her in the clutches of a hulking vampire, his hands around her neck and his teeth bared.

The decision is an easy one to make, there's no conscious thought involved, only action. Jemma springs forward, stake raised, ready to plunge it into the back of the vampire tightening his grip on Daisy.

The vampire seems to know she's coming because he drops Daisy suddenly, whirling to face Jemma and easily knocking the stake out of her hand. He grabs her arm when Jemma moves to hit him, twisting it behind her back as he pulls her flush with his chest. She can hear the pop more than feel it, though she can definitely feel it too.

And so can Daisy, based on the horrified look in her eyes. She's still laying on the floor, still struggling to get her breath, to force herself to her feet, to do something, anything, other than just sit there and watch. The helpless, defeated expression in Daisy's face frightens Jemma more than being in the grasp of a vampire.

Instinct burns through the pain and Jemma moves without thinking about it, planting her feet and pushing against the vampire as hard as she can. His bulk is large enough that he can't get his balance with his arms around Jemma and they both pitch backward. Jemma grits her teeth against the jolt of pain that flashes through her body and she rolls off the vampire's chest, reaching across the dusty floor for her stake.

The vampire grabs her just as she fingers curl around the wood and he hauls her upright, pulling her toward his elongated teeth. This puts her in perfect range of his chest and she drives the stake forward with a cry, praying there's enough force behind it to puncture his sternum and pierce his heart.

Jemma drops back to her feet when the vampire turns to dust and she manages to keep her footing, panting as she looks around for the next aggressor. But the restaurant is eerily silent and still; even the shadows are motionless. It's almost as though there was never anything there at all.

And, of course, the queen is gone as well.

Jemma exhales, dropping her stake as she sinks to her knees beside Daisy. They're alive, more or less, but the queen and a decent part of her nest managed to get away so Jemma doesn't really feel all that great about the state of things.

When Jemma looks over at Daisy, there's nothing but guilt reflected back at her. Somehow it's even worse than the fear Jemma saw there earlier.

* * *

 

"I'm fine," Jemma says, adding another tally to the mental scoreboard she's been keeping. She's said those words ten times now and judging by the concern in Coulson's face, she's probably going to have to say them ten more. "That's the good thing about being a Slayer, right? Quick healing."

Coulson pats her on the shoulder that hasn't recently been popped back into place. "That doesn't mean you run around testing how quickly you can heal."

Jemma rolls her eyes. "Trust me, that was not the intention."

She's pretty sure that their forced joviality is just to counteract the heavy silence from the other people in the room. May and Daisy haven't said much of anything since they all gathered in Coulson's apartment. Daisy hasn't said much of anything for a while and Jemma is trying not to let Daisy's silence bother her.

May frowns and Jemma can see worry hidden beneath her disapproval. "I still don't understand," she says. "You found the nest. You found the leader of the cluster. But you were hurt and the leader wasn't killed."

There's no judgement in her tone, only the hint of disappointment that comes from a problem not solved. A problem that will only continue to put them and others in danger. Jemma is grateful that May doesn't say anything more, doesn't start pointing out the things that went wrong or all the ways they could have been better. She's already been thinking those things since they left the restaurant.

"She got hurt because of me," Daisy says softly and for the first time she finally looks at Jemma.

Jemma frowns. "No, I didn't." Even though there's three other people in the room, Jemma feels like she's talking just to Daisy. "I got hurt because I'm a Slayer and I was fighting vampires."

Daisy isn't convinced. Honestly, Jemma isn't surprised; the guilt on Daisy's face is as easy to read as anything. Jemma wishes that it was just the two of them, she wishes that she could hold onto Daisy and assure her that they're both okay, that they made it, that they still have each other. The worst part is the uncertainty that Jemma feels; she's not sure Daisy would be receptive to her words or to Jemma.

"You got hurt because you were trying to help me," Daisy says and now she's looking at May and Coulson like she's ready to confess some particularly bad behavior. "And that's why the queen vampire was able to get away. Because she was trying to help me."

Jemma grits her teeth. "That's not-"

But Daisy only shakes her head, getting to her feet. She doesn't look at any of them as she leaves, letting the door slam shut behind her. Jemma stares after her, wishing that Daisy would change her mind, that the door would swing open again. But of course it doesn't.

* * *

 

Daisy comes late to class, wearing the scowl of someone who was escorted to the attendance office against her will. Jemma admires Coulson for deciding to take on a surly, teenage delinquent Slayer with a strong dislike for the educational system and an even stronger desire to avoid one Jemma Simmons.

At least, Jemma assumes that she's being avoided. Seeing as Daisy hasn't answered any of her text messages or calls and the fact that she's currently ignoring Jemma. Which is definitely an impressive task, seeing as they sit next to each other. But Daisy spends the rest of class ignoring Jemma and ignoring Mr. Wilkins and staring a hole in the wall. Jemma tries to keep her empathy for Daisy from being overshadowed by her panic and heartache over being ignored by someone she's pretty sure she's stupid in love with.

When the bell rings, Daisy is the first person out of her desk and heading toward the door, putting her Slayer abilities to good use. Well, two can play that game. Jemma catches up with her easily, though Daisy still looks pointedly ahead. "Will you stop?" Jemma glares at the side of Daisy's head. "Just talk to me."

Daisy only shakes her head as they carve a path through the massing of students in the hallway. "There's nothing to say." She quickens her pace.

Jemma rolls her eyes. "Stop being so stubborn!"

A few heads turn to look in their direction and Jemma can see Elena and Mack watching them among the crowd, though they at least have the decency to act like they're doing something else.

Daisy stops and Jemma catches up with her easily. "I'm not being stubborn," Daisy says, keeping her voice down so that no one else can overhear them. "I'm trying to be smart and practical about things for once. You got hurt-"

"I'm fine," Jemma snaps in exasperation. "Why is everyone so worried about me? I've been fighting vampires and god knows what else for two years and it's always 'walk it off, Jemma. You're the Slayer, Jemma' but now everything is like Def-Con One and you're acting like that vampire ripped my arm out of its socket and like I'm some sort of helpless damsel. Well I'm _not_. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself so stop acting like you've done something unforgivable."

If Daisy is startled by the barrage of words being thrown at her, she doesn't show it. She only shakes her head. "Look, everything isn't fine. It was a disaster last night because I have no idea what I'm doing. This whole Slayer thing…I've been treating it like a joke, like it's something fun that'll just come easy but I…I was useless last night."

"Daisy, don't-"

"If you hadn't been there I would have died," Daisy continues, ignoring Jemma completely. "And because you had to help me, the vampires got away and people are still in danger and I just need…I think working alone is a good idea. That's how it's supposed to be, right?"

Jemma frowns. "May is just-"

"It's not May's idea," Daisy interrupts and that guilty look flickers across her eyes once more. "It's mine. Slayers are supposed to be solo, right?"

"But it doesn't have to be that way," Jemma protests. "We can be a team. You and me and Bobbi and Fitz and the others. A team."

Daisy shrugs. "Jemma…"

Jemma narrows her eyes. "So that's it then? Just," she snaps her fingers. "Over? Am I supposed to pretend like everything is fine when you come over for dinner or study and-"

The look on Daisy's face stops Jemma short. She feels like an idiot for even starting down that path. "Oh, I get it," Jemma says, pursing her lips. "This isn't just a Slayer thing."

Daisy looks like the idea physically pains her but she doesn't do anything to correct her words. "Jemma, I'm-"

"You are stubborn," Jemma informs her frankly with a shake of her head. "And you're being completely ridiculous."

She steps past Daisy, continuing down the hallway like she's perfectly fine with the decision that Daisy has just made for the both of them. Like it doesn't matter what Daisy is stubborn and selfish and short-sighted. Like she doesn't just want to slip into the library and escape the rest of this day.

* * *

 

Bobbi looks perfectly at home perched on top of a lichen covered tombstone and Jemma thinks it's probably one of life's great ironies that she wasn't Called as a Slayer because she definitely has the aesthetic down. Not that she would wish this life on anyone but still. There's something to be said for style.

Fitz seems intent on pacing a hole in the ground, tossing a freshly sharpened stake from hand to hand and Jemma is grateful to have both of them with her. In the days since she and Daisy have gone back to being solo-Slayers, it's been nice to have the company. Not that it makes Jemma worry about them less or miss Daisy any less or…well it doesn't solve any of her problems. But it does make her feel less lonely.

Finally Fitz stops, looking over at Jemma. "Okay, are we going to say it yet?" He looks at her and Bobbi expectantly. "Because this is weird, right?"

Bobbi makes a face. "Right. Where are the vampires?"

It's not the type of thing Jemma would have ever expected any of them to say. Quiet nights are nice but…definitely unexpected in Sunnydale. And having quiet night after quiet night in a row…especially in the middle of a graveyard…in the middle of Sunnydale? Something is definitely unusual.

Especially given the fact that the vampire queen and her nest are still at large. Jemma is certain that she would be focused on making new recruits but they haven't come across a single vampire in almost a week.

Something is not right.

"Maybe they…" Jemma starts only to stop when she realizes that there really is no explanation. Instead, she just furrows her brow.

"Maybe someone is killing them all before we can," Bobbi suggests with a pointed look at Jemma. "If only we could think about someone else who might be running around Sunnydale killing vampires so you don't have to."

Jemma rolls her eyes. "I'm sure Daisy _is_ killing vampires; she _is_ a Slayer."

Fitz smiles. "It's kinda sweet, right?" He shrugs. "It's like she's trying to protect you…"

Jemma throws a stake at him and Fitz winces, rubbing his chest. "Okay, okay. Point taken."

Bobbi throws her stake as well, for good measure.

Jemma doesn't want to admit that this isn't the first time that this thought has occurred to her. Daisy's appearances in class have been sporadic at best and it's not hard to imagine her spending most of her days training and then galivanting around Sunnydale once evening hits, killing newly turned and older vampires alike so that Jemma never crosses paths with them.

What worries her the most is the idea of Daisy hunting after the vampire queen and her nest, determined to take them out before Jemma discovers the nest herself. The idea ties her stomach into knots and only makes her want to find the nest first, so Daisy doesn't have to.

Honestly, they're a mess. At least Sunnydale has never been safer.

* * *

 

"What's this?" Jemma questions, pulling the large paper across the table. It's a map of Sunnydale, carefully marked off into sections; some of the sections have been methodically marked through with a red x.

May glances over her shoulder with seemingly little interest in what Jemma is looking at. "Hmm?" She lifts an eyebrow. "Oh. That's nothing. Something Coulson just brought by."

Jemma looks over at May, trying to figure out if she's been acting strangely for a while. Honestly, she doesn't know how May has been acting recently. Jemma feels like her thoughts have been focused in only two directions: hunting vampires and missing Daisy. Everything else has just fallen by the wayside thanks to the huge, aching emptiness in her chest.

But May doesn't seem interested in continuing the conversation, more focused on sorting through the stack of leather-bound books on the table. Jemma looks back toward the map, studying it more closely. Most of the sections that have already been crossed out are clusters of old, abandoned warehouses and industrial buildings. But some of the circled sections are in neighborhoods or the more populated parts in the center of town and most of those sections have yet to be crossed out. One particular square has a circle drawn around a specific building, a place Jemma knows has been empty and out of use for the past several months thanks to a nasty vampire rat infestation that was definitely not fun to clear out.

And that's when Jemma realizes what she's looking at. Daisy _has_ been looking for the vampire nest and she's been keeping track of where she's cleared so far. Obviously this particular building is of importance for one reason or another.

Jemma looks over at May but she's conspicuously ignoring her. Jemma thinks they both know where she'll be headed during tonight's patrol.

* * *

 

In the end, they defeat the evil and save the town and Jemma gets the girl and gets to say 'I told you so,' though she waits a respectable amount of time before bringing up that point. But for a while, it's not so obvious that their victory is within reach. Some people might enjoy playing those particular odds but Jemma has never been one of them. The thrill of a close brush with death -especially after an actual death- just doesn't do it for her.

They're out numbered, even though Jemma found herself reluctantly agreeing to let the solely human members of the vampire hunting team join her on this mission. Having Bobbi and Fitz and the others does help tip the scales in their favor, which only further reinforces Jemma's belief that being a part of the team is the best way to go. She's sure to point this out to Daisy later, during the I-told-you-so portion of the evening.

By the time Jemma and the others show up at the location of the newly expanded vampire colony, Daisy is already trying to fight her way through the hoard, her movements swift, merciless and confident but still driven by fear and the almost crippling realization that death might be waiting just around the corner.

And it's fear that Jemma sees in Daisy's eyes when she realizes that she's no longer alone in trying to fight her way through a cluster of vampires. "What are you doing here?" She watches as Jemma takes down one of the vampires but doesn't seem pleased that the ranks have been reduced.

"We're here to help," Jemma assures her, hurrying over to join Daisy. "You know, as a team."

Daisy frowns. "I don't need any help," she says and it's unclear whether she truly believes this or if she's still focused on posturing. "Especially not from people who can just get hurt and-"

"Are you always this stubborn?" Jemma questions, trying to ignore the annoyance that flares through her.

Daisy scowls but the expression, more than anything, looks feigned. "That's what I've been told."

Jemma rolls her eyes. "Let me help you, Daisy." There's more that she wants to say, more than she feels like they need to talk about and get on the table. Now is, of course, not that time. She just reaches for Daisy's hand. "We can do this together."

Daisy hesitates only briefly before slipping her hand into Jemma's. Jemma pulls her forward, catching her off guard; she presses her lips quickly to Daisy's. "For luck."

Daisy smiles, shaking her head. They step away and, in unison, join in the fight.

Even still, it's not magically over. Vampires are, unfortunately, largely unmoved by the powers of friendship and love and reconciliation. There are a few moments where Jemma thinks they're going to be overpowered, that even she and Daisy and the rest of the team and all their gadgets won't be enough against sheer numbers.

By the end of it all, they're all bloodied and bruised but alive and the vampire queen isn't. Alive, that is. Jemma decides to count it as a win, bruises and cuts notwithstanding.

Daisy looks at them all, smiling sheepishly, before letting her gaze settle on Jemma. "Thanks. I mean, I probably could have handled it," she teases, "but a little help is always appreciated."

Jemma rolls her eyes. "Well, I don't-" Daisy puts her hand around the back of Jemma's neck, pulling her in for a kiss. It's a pretty effective way to end the conversation and it leaves Jemma breathless.

"Is that a Slayer thing?" Bobbi questions with a smirk. "I mean, does the whole adrenaline of a fight make you feel like-"

"I think we'll just give you guys some space," Hunter interrupts quickly, giving Bobbi a look. "That's my sister."

Bobbi only shakes her head and the four of them lead the way out of the building, giving Jemma and Daisy the space to follow behind.

Daisy grins, crinkling her nose. "I guess being a part of the team isn't so bad…" She slips her arm around Jemma's waist.

"Well, you haven't made it onto the team yet," Jemma corrects. "Luckily for you, I happen to know the team leader." She points to herself.

"What's not to like?" Daisy questions. "I mean, I am the Slayer."

Jemma shakes her head. "You're _a_ Slayer," she points out. "I'm _The_ Slayer."

Daisy groans. "Not that again." She nudges Jemma playfully.

"Well, it's true." Jemma smiles. "I was the original."

"I think a negotiation is in order," Daisy decides, kissing Jemma's temple. "And I happen to be a very good negotiator…"


End file.
